The Catalyst
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 The local restaurant delivery service idea has existed for over two decades. However, local delivery via bicycle couriers first began in San Francisco in 2010 by TCB Courier. This is where Brennan Kreiman and Jon Balicki got their start working with bicycle courier companies, as well as working with several in Milwaukee. Eventually, they decided to start their own company, Forward Courier LLC, with the goal of creating sustainable courier jobs with outlets for growth.
As an on demand delivery service, Forward Courier utilizes bicycle couriers to deliver just about anything, specializing in restaurant food delivery and same day parcel delivery. Thus far, Brennan and Jon have registered their business as an LLC, acquired liability insurance, purchased a logo and have signed several clients in the Walker?s Point neighborhood. Their goals for this summer  include growing their revenue to be able to purchase another cargo bicycle and renting a suitable commercial space to start their parcel forwarding service and to store their cargo bicycles and equipment. Forward is currently growing to be able to sustain two full time employees and four part time employees by this fall if able to meet their summer goals. In the long term, Brennan and Jon aim to hire six full time employees and envision purchasing a commercial kitchen space to facilitate their own in house food delivery service. Their website, www.fwdcourier.com, is soon to launch with available online prepaid delivery options.
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BizStarts 2nd Quarter Impact Report
Check out our second quarter metrics on our Impact Report!
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BizStarts Professional Program
Join us on
July 9th for a free breakfast series offering education, inspiration, and food for thought.
Delivering Strong growth with Lean Marketing
Lean Marketing is a pillar of the Lean startup movement, and it can energize market discovery and
 growth in organizations of any size and life cycle stage. We will provide a quick tour through some of the first principles of lean marketing with a focus on value creation through customer
participation, continuous learning, leveraging technology and efficient use of resources to achieve maximum results.
Presented by: USASBE and UW-Whitewater
Click here to register
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BizStarts Featured Mentor: Dennis Torkko
 Dennis Torkko has been involved with BizStarts ever since inception in 2008. He has mentored over the last four years for startups in a variety of industries, including companies in technology and medical services. His latest mentee is developing a solution to prevent concussions in sport and other activities. Some of his mentoring relationships have involved only a few months of front-end advising while others have been longer term.
At Arthur Andersen in Milwaukee, Dennis began his business career and learned about helping clients in various industries solve their business problems. He launched multiple new service lines in a series of senior management positions with Andersen that took him all around the world. He finds his last two assignments at Andersen particularly helpful to his mentoring skills: he began and ran Andersen's outsourcing business and later led the execution of its Y2K Program. Since "retirement" from Andersen, Dennis has been a serial entrepreneur involved as an investor in various startup companies, some of which he is active in management and board activities and others just as an investor.
By leveraging his business experience in other startup situations in multiple industries, Dennis is able to provide valuable guidance to the startup individuals and teams he works with. This is why he enjoys it: "It is very rewarding to see my life's lessons in play helping others."
Thank you, Dennis, for all that you do!
At BizStarts we sincerely appreciate his help - thank you for all you do, Dennis!
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BizStarts Featured Foundation:
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
One hundred years ago-when the average household income was $687 a year and gas was a mere $.27 a gallon-a few generous visionaries started the Milwaukee Foundation Committee; a precursor to today's Greater Milwaukee Foundation (GMF). The idea of local citizens pooling their assets together to address local needs was a new movement just taking hold in America. The very first
investment was an anonymous gift of $1000 (equal to around $23,000 today) and funded reading, math and sewing classes for Milwaukee's disadvantaged residents."The support of community leaders in those early years enabled the Foundation to take root," says Ellen M. Gilligan, the Foundation's President and CEO who is guiding the Foundation into its second century. "Our first named fund, for example, was established by Patrick Cudahy."
Flash forward to 2015, GMF is ranked in the Top 25 Largest Community Foundations in the country as measured by assets and the Foundation has invested more than $524 million back into the community. The Foundation deploys both human and financial resources to address improvements in education and health sectors, safety of neighborhoods, the arts and an economy that enable everyone to thrive. One notable example is the Milwaukee Succeeds Program, a holistic program addressing school readiness, K-12 academic success, postsecondary success, and social and emotional support. For more information on the program and other initiatives click here.
To celebrate 100 years of service to the community, the Foundation has unveiled substantial signature grants and investments in public spaces as well as presented the Community with monthly Gifts designed to connect the public with unique people, places and opportunities that make Milwaukee special. "The Gifts celebrate the legacy of generosity in our community as well as the Greater Milwaukee Foundation's enduring partnerships with philanthropic donors and local nonprofits," says Gilligan. For information on GMF's Centennial Awards, Gifts and special festivities and events planned to mark the event, click here .
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What's Happening?
Event Announcements for Entrepreneurs
Small Business Investment Panel with Greater Milwaukee Foundation - July 1st
If you are looking for alternative small business funding sources and/or technical assistance this is the event for you. July 1st from 10am - noon RSVP to Sally Svetic at [email protected]
BizStarts Professional Program with USASBE and UW-Whitewater - July 9
Delivering Strong Growth with Lean Marketing
 WIN - Milwaukee meeting with International scale-up expert Dan Isenberg - July 9
WWBIC Reception at State Capitol - August 18
4th Annual FastPitch Competition - August 19 
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Used by BizStarts, created by Bill Aulet, Managing Director of the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship
Here are 10 of the best digital tools to help you launch and grow your startup
A networking site for entrepreneurs, designed to help connect startups
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BizStarts Executive Team
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President
Dan Steininger
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Executive Director
Jacquin Davidson
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Recognition for
BizStarts' Sponsors
As the region's premier resource for entrepreneurs and emerging companies, BizStarts draws expertise from a wide range of service and professional specialties that collectively foster
Wisconsin's entrepreneurial spirit.
The BizStarts Program enlists these experts to provide unique opportunities for training and development, market and/or product assessments, leadership planning and other consultations or services...available only to BizStarts engaged entrepreneurs and their businesses. Why is this model important? More innovation, more successful launches and more jobs in our community.
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Founder Level Sponsors
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Frederick E. Beals Fund
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Executive Level Sponsors
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| Director Level Sponsors |
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Anon Charitable Trust Foundation
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George and Julie
Mosher Family
Foundation
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Manager Level Sponsors
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Daniel Hoan Foundation
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